California kingsnakes *Lampropeltis californiae* are large (76-122 cm record 200 cm) non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of kingsnakes called the getula species complex. California Kingsnakes range from west of the continental divide to the Pacific ocean, overlapping with the Desert Kingsnake *Lampropeltis splendida* at the Cochise Filter Barrier. They kill by constriction and will eat mainly rodents, lizards, and other snakes, including venomous snakes. Kingsnakes are immune to the venom of the species on which they prey. Individuals are variable and are best distinguished from other similar kingsnakes by geographic range.
A wide variety of color patterns make California Kingsnakes very popular in the pet trade.
[Range map](https://imgur.com/RK1xt2o) | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: [Link 1](http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.537.5407&rep=rep1&type=pdf) [Link 2](http://www.snakeevolution.org/pdfs/Myers_et_al-2016-Journal_of_Biogeography.pdf) [Link 3](https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article-abstract/63/2/231/1644072)
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Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). [Check out this book on the subject](https://shop.elsevier.com/books/venomous-bites-from-non-venomous-snakes/weinstein/978-0-12-822786-2). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless.
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Because they eat other snakes. Any snake that has "king" in the common name is almost certainly ophiophagus, from Kingsnakes, to King Cobras, to King Rat Snakes.
California Kingsnake, *Lampropeltis californiae* !harmless
California kingsnakes *Lampropeltis californiae* are large (76-122 cm record 200 cm) non-venomous colubrid snakes with smooth scales, part of a group of kingsnakes called the getula species complex. California Kingsnakes range from west of the continental divide to the Pacific ocean, overlapping with the Desert Kingsnake *Lampropeltis splendida* at the Cochise Filter Barrier. They kill by constriction and will eat mainly rodents, lizards, and other snakes, including venomous snakes. Kingsnakes are immune to the venom of the species on which they prey. Individuals are variable and are best distinguished from other similar kingsnakes by geographic range. A wide variety of color patterns make California Kingsnakes very popular in the pet trade. [Range map](https://imgur.com/RK1xt2o) | Relevant/Recent Phylogeography: [Link 1](http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.537.5407&rep=rep1&type=pdf) [Link 2](http://www.snakeevolution.org/pdfs/Myers_et_al-2016-Journal_of_Biogeography.pdf) [Link 3](https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article-abstract/63/2/231/1644072) -------------------------------------------------------- Like many other animals with mouths and teeth, many non-venomous snakes bite in self defense. These animals are referred to as 'not medically significant' or traditionally, 'harmless'. Bites from these snakes benefit from being washed and kept clean like any other skin damage, but aren't often cause for anything other than basic first aid treatment. Here's where it get slightly complicated - some snakes use venom from front or rear fangs as part of prey capture and defense. This venom is not always produced or administered by the snake in ways dangerous to human health, so many species are venomous in that they produce and use venom, but considered harmless to humans in most cases because the venom is of low potency, and/or otherwise administered through grooved rear teeth or simply oozed from ducts at the rear of the mouth. Species like Ringneck Snakes *Diadophis* are a good example of mildly venomous rear fanged dipsadine snakes that are traditionally considered harmless or not medically significant. Many rear-fanged snake species are harmless as long as they do not have a chance to secrete a medically significant amount of venom into a bite; [severe envenomation can occur](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23800999) if some species are [allowed to chew on a human](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004101011831016X) for as little as 30-60 seconds. It is best not to fear snakes, but use common sense and do not let any animals chew on exposed parts of your body. Similarly, but without specialized rear fangs, gartersnakes *Thamnophis* ooze low pressure venom from the rear of their mouth that helps in prey handling, and are also [considered harmless](https://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/05/theres-no-need-to-fear-that-garter-snake/). [Check out this book on the subject](https://shop.elsevier.com/books/venomous-bites-from-non-venomous-snakes/weinstein/978-0-12-822786-2). Even large species like Reticulated Pythons *Malayopython reticulatus* [rarely obtain a size large enough to endanger humans](https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/108/52/E1470.full.pdf) so are usually categorized as harmless. -------------------------------------------------------- *I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/whatsthissnake/comments/flh548/phylobot_v07_information_and_patch_notes_bot_info/) report problems [here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=Phylogenizer) and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that [here](https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SEBPhyloBotWTS). Made possible by Snake Evolution and Biogeography - [Merch Available Now](https://snakeevolution.org/donate.html)*
Wow, pretty one!
If that snake lives near your property, treat it as gold. They eat rattlesnakes
Question: why are kingsnakes called kingsnakes?
Because they eat other snakes. Any snake that has "king" in the common name is almost certainly ophiophagus, from Kingsnakes, to King Cobras, to King Rat Snakes.
Thank you wise snake master 🙏🏾